June 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 10

P E RS P E C T I V E S A M E S S A G E F R O M N R PA' S L E A D E RS

Park Afterschool Programs: A Vital
Community Resource
In 2008, I was fortunate to be a part
of a parks team that partnered with
researchers and pediatricians at the
University of Miami Miller School
of Medicine to prove one simple concept: park afterschool programs have
a positive impact on children's health.
This was an important benefit that
needed a credible body of evidence to
ensure the Great Recession would not
result in the closing of county recreation centers. While the past 10 years
have been a rather circuitous funding
journey for many local park agencies,
NRPA's priority of making the case
for evidence-based and properly administered programs as the first line of
defense in the obesity epidemic helped
ensure the survival of afterschool programming nationally.
This month's NRPA Health and
Wellness Issue reminds us that, while park-based
physical activity and nutrition programs are proven
to be effective for children 6 to 14 years old, it's teens
who are often forgotten. Teens are among those
most vulnerable to at-risk behaviors and violence.
Nearly 70 percent of urban youth have experienced
some form of direct or witnessed violence in their
neighborhood. Teens of color are disproportionately
more likely to be exposed to violence and less likely
to receive services for their mental health needs. The
ongoing insistence that public schools prioritize academics has refocused attention on park afterschool
programming as a practical venue for teaching
social-emotional skills to teens. Park afterschool programs are uniquely positioned to teach and reinforce
the resiliency skills necessary for teens to develop as
healthy and productive citizens.
According to the CDC, suicide is the second-leading
cause of death among adolescents in the United States.
Recent data shows that more than 15 percent of high
school students reported having seriously contemplated suicide in the preceding year. Suburban Parkland
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Florida's Recreation and Enrichment Center (P-REC)
demonstrates its commitment to mental health through
park partnerships and programming after one of the
most traumatic mass school shootings in recent history.
Nationally, teen suicides jumped more than 75 percent
between 2007 and 2017 and in South Florida alone, five
teen suicides - two of which were youth impacted by
the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting
- have occurred in the past six months. Training in
how to help teens who experience thoughts of suicide
is vital for all afterschool-care park professionals.
Collaborative park programs that include internships,
job placement and continuing education are producing
the most successful teen outcomes. University and park
collaborators are focusing on infusing socio-emotional
learning into enrichment activities, such as meditation,
which includes a combination of guided imagery, compassion building and relaxation breathing. Teens describe these meditations as helpful in reducing anxiety
and staying calm while under stress.
Park afterschool programs are a vital community
resource for educational support, job skills and evidence-based mental health promotion for diverse
teens. Programs using meditation, sports, recreation,
arts and civic engagement to facilitate cognitive
growth and development of life skills foster resilience in our youth. This can insulate them from atrisk behavior and provide critical coping skills in the
wake of misfortune and tragedy.

Jack Kardys recognizes Stacy L. Frazier, Sarah E. Messiah, Emily M. D'Agostino and Eric
Hansen for their contributions to research on behalf of the parks profession.

JACK K ARDYS
Chair, NRPA Board of Directors

June 2019 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2019 - Parks & Recreation